Mercer Island Reporter

A thief in a carport triggered a motion sensor light in the middle of the night on Saturday, March 9, at a residence in the 4000 block of 91st Avenue S.E.

The 51-year-old resident was awake at the time, around 2:19 a.m., and noticed the light. When she looked outside and saw a hooded person leaning into the front seat of her vehicle with the dome light on, she ran downstairs, opened the door and yelled, according to the police report.

The vehicle, a Honda CR-V, had been left unlocked.

The suspect fled south toward the high school, and the woman chased him down the street. The suspect was described as heavy set and unable to run fast; 5 feet 8 to 10 inches in height; and wearing jeans, tennis shoes, and a long-sleeved, dark coat with a hood.

When the woman returned to her house, she called 911. No items were stolen, and fingerprints were lifted from the vehicle.

Feb. 27

Bike found: A 56-year-old Mercer Island man reported an abandoned bicycle by the side of the road in the 3900 block of Island Crest Way. Police recovered the bike.

March 4

Theft: $5,000 was transferred from a senior couple’s bank account to Paypal without authorization. The first two deposits were only $0.18, but the next one was $5,000 by an ECheck. The victims’ bank account was subsequently frozen and the bank has not replaced the money.

March 5

Arrest: Police arrested a 33-year-old man for a $1,000 Bellingham misdemeanor warrant at 6:52 a.m. in the 3400 block of 96th Avenue S.E. The warrant was for a domestic violence order violation. The suspect was booked into the King County Jail.

March 6

Theft: A Best Buy purchase was charged to a 46-year-old man’s store credit card sometime after March 4. The total amount, for unknown items, was $709.79.

March 8

Accident: A vehicle being towed swung into an unoccupied, parked vehicle at 7:45 p.m. on private property in the 3200 block of West Concord Way. The flatbed truck, towing a vehicle on a dolly, was attempting to make a left turn and the driver miscalculated the turning radius.

Marijuana: A police officer found a small amount of marijuana in a plastic container, with drug paraphernalia, at 11:20 a.m. in the 7400 block of East Mercer Way. The marijuana and container will be destroyed.

March 9

Mail theft: Mail was stolen overnight from a mailbox in a neighborhood northeast of Pioneer Park, in the 6100 block of 92nd Avenue S.E. The mail included “One People Magazine.”

A locking mailbox was pried open further down the same street, in the 6000 block of 94th Avenue S.E. Several miscellaneous solicitations were stolen.